[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86384-86385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27300]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB


Review; Comment Request, Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), New 
Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Chief Evaluation 
Office, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and 
federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95). This program helps to ensure that 
requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden 
(time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are 
clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on 
respondents is properly assessed. Currently, the Department of Labor is 
soliciting comments concerning the collection of data about the Work 
Opportunity Tax Credit. A copy of the proposed Information Collection 
Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in 
the addressee section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before February 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either one of the following 
methods:
    Email: [email protected]; Mail or Courier: Megan Lizik, 
Chief Evaluation Office, OASP, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-2312, 
200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Instructions: Please 
submit one copy of your comments by only one method. All submissions 
received must include the agency name and OMB Control Number identified 
above for this information collection. Comments, including any personal 
information provided, become a matter of public record. They will also 
be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the 
information collection request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Lizik by email at 
[email protected] or by phone at 202-693-5911.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    I. Background: The Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) of the U.S. 
Department of Labor (DOL) intends to design and conduct an evaluation 
to assess the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program. WOTC is a 
provision of the Internal Revenue Code (title 26 of the U.S. Code) that 
provides employers a tax credit as an incentive to hire people with 
barriers to employment in 10 Target Groups (including veterans, 
recipients of certain public benefits, people with disabilities and 
others). DOL is responsible for certification of WOTC participant 
eligibility, and the Internal Revenue Service in the Department of 
Treasury issues the tax credits to employers. The goal of this project 
is to build knowledge about the effectiveness and implementation of the 
program. CEO, in collaboration with the Office for Workforce Investment 
(OWI) in the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and with the 
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), seeks to better 
understand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), how it is 
administered amongst state workforce agencies, how it serves job 
seekers and employers, the effectiveness and efficiency of its current 
design, potential improvements in structure and operations, and 
potential future research in this area. This initial request pertains 
to an implementation evaluation of WOTC. An outcome and impact 
evaluation are anticipated in the future.
    This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on
    1. Internet Survey of State Workforce Agency (SWA) Administrators. 
Surveys will be issued in the winter of 2024-2025. These surveys will 
address the implementation processes used by SWAs to administer the 
WOTC program, including recruitment of individuals and businesses, 
issuance of conditional certifications, processing WOTC certification 
requests, interactions with other involved organizations, and use of 
automated systems. SWAs will also be asked to provide contact 
information for Businesses that requested WOTC certifications, Business 
Representatives used by employers seeking WOTC certifications, American 
Job Centers and other community organizations authorized to pre-certify 
WOTC Target Group members, and individuals certified in WOTC Target 
Groups.
    2. Internet Survey of Businesses and Business Representatives. 
Surveys will be issued in the winter of 2024-2025 to address the 
processes used by Businesses or their Representatives to recruit, 
certify and hire WOTC candidates.
    3. Internet Survey of American Job Centers (AJCs) and Partner 
Organizations that can pre-certify the eligibility for a WOTC Target 
Group. This survey will address the activities that AJCs and other 
partner organizations (identified by SWAs) engage in to pre-certify 
individuals in 10 WOTC Target groups.
    4. Internet Survey of WOTC-Certified Candidates. This survey will 
address the implementation processes experienced by the WOTC Target 
Group members in obtaining a WOTC certification, and their subsequent 
employment.
    II. Desired Focus of Comments: Currently, the Department of Labor 
is soliciting comments concerning the above data collection for the 
Work Opportunity Tax Credit program. DOL is particularly interested in 
comments that do the following:
    [cir] evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    [cir] evaluate the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate of the 
proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions;
    [cir] enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    [cir] minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology--for example, permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    III. Current Actions: At this time, the Department of Labor is 
requesting clearance for internet surveys of State Workforce Agencies, 
Businesses and

[[Page 86385]]

Business Representatives, American Job Centers and associated partners, 
and WOTC-certified individuals.
    Type of Review: New information collection request.
    OMB Control Number: 1290-0NEW.
    Affected Public: State Workforce Agency Personnel, Businesses 
(primarily for profit, but may include a small number of non-profits), 
and Individuals with WOTC certifications.
    Comments submitted in response to this request will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

                                          Estimated Annual Burden Hours
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                                                              Number of                   Average
                                                Number of     responses      Total      burden time   Estimated
      Type of instrument (form/activity)       respondents       per       number of   per response     burden
                                                             respondent    responses     (minutes)      hours
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Internet Survey of State Workforce Agency               50             1           50            60           50
 WOTC Administrators.........................
Internet Survey of WOTC-participating                1,000             1        1,000            15          250
 Businesses..................................
Internet survey of Business Representatives             50             1           50            15           13
 Acting on behalf of a WOTC-participating
 businesses..................................
Internet Survey of American Job Center/                500             1          500            10           84
 Partner Organizations that pre-certify
 individuals in WOTC Target Groups...........
Internet Survey of Individuals certified in a        1,000             1        1,000            15          250
 WOTC Target Group...........................
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    Total....................................        2,600  ............        2,600  ............          647
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Upeksha Savi Swick,
Director of Research, Employment and Training Programs, U.S. Department 
of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2023-27300 Filed 12-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-HX-P